How To Do A North Dakota Business Name Search

The first step in forming a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation in North Dakota is verifying the business name is available. Each business entity that is registered with the North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions must use a unique name. See our step-by-step guide to quickly search available names using the state’s Business Entity Database.

Related: Checklist To Start A Business In North Dakota

Steps To Do A North Dakota Business Name Search

Step 1: Visit the North Dakota Entity Name Database

Visit the North Dakota Department of Financial Institutions website.

Step 2: Search for a Business Name

Enter the name you want to use in the “Entity Name” field.  In this example, we will search for a North Dakota LLC name by looking up “Legendary Landscaping.” After entering the company name, click “Search.”  It is recommended to search by “with all the words” and “with at least one of the words.” “entity name starts with,” “partial match with at least one of the words” in the drop-down menu to search your name thoroughly.

Step 3: Review the Results

When we search the registered names, we get a list of all the businesses with the words “Legendary Landscaping.” To register a corporation or LLC name in North Dakota, the name must be distinguishable from the other registered names. If you were looking to form an LLC with this name, you wouldn’t be able to since one is already registered.

To find more information about any registered small business names, click on the link in the “Type – Status” column to see a detailed report.  In this example, we will look up “Legendary Landscaping L.L.C..”

While the name “Legendary Landscaping” may not be available for an LLC by itself, other variants, such as “Legendary Landscaping of North Dakota” or “of Legendary Landscaping of Fargo,” are available.  Searching for those business names brings a result that says, “No Entities were found matching your selection criteria.”  While final approval is still with the Department of Financial Institutions, it is likely available to register. 

These are the basics of searching for a business name in North Dakota.  Even when the name of the business you want looks like it is available, the Department of Financial Institutions will make a final determination when filing to ensure the name you picked isn’t too similar to other registered names. 

Also, keep in mind that even though each Corporation and LLC name must be unique, it may not stop someone else from using that name since business names for a sole proprietorship or partnership are not registered by the Secretary of State and are not required to be unique. To protect your business name, consider getting a trademark.

Related: Should I trademark my business name?

What information can be found on the North Dakota business entity database?

The business entity database search can find several pieces of information about the business. Some of the highlights include:

• Business Name
• Entity Type: Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.
• Status: Active & Good Standing means all reports and filing fees are up to date. Other results include “Dissolved,” “Not Good Standing,” and “Expired.” The names of these results may be available to register.
• Original File Date: This is when the Articles of Organization were filed with the Department of Financial Institutions. The Effective Date can be up to 90 days after the filing date.
• Nature of the Business: Brief description of what the business does.
• Principal Office: This could be the business’s physical address or the address where business records are stored.
• Registered Agent Information: A North Dakota registered agent is the singular point of contact for the entity should a legal or tax notice need to be sent to the business. 

North Dakota Business Name Search FAQs